Engineering Innovation: From Startup Vision to Global Impact

 

Dr. Marius Herr shares how his engineering background, customer-first philosophy and strategic partnerships continue to drive innovation in the rapidly evolving hydrogen industry.

Please tell us about your background and why you founded TesTneT.

Before founding TesTneT, I worked at a company that specialized in hydrogen container and tank testing. TesTneT’s co-founder, Sebastian Sturm, and I were colleagues, and we frequently discussed opportunities to advance the industry.

What struck us was a significant gap in the market for component testing services. We proposed expanding into this area to our management team, but they weren’t interested. Knowing it was too good an opportunity to miss, Sebastian and I decided to take matters into our own hands, and we set up TesTneT.

Not only did we have a great idea, but the timing felt right. On a personal level, I was in my early 40s and ready to try self-employment. But perhaps more importantly, we could see the potential in the market. Hydrogen technology was gaining recognition as a promising future solution.

How did you establish TesTneT?

We deliberately started as a small and sustainable business. Instead of offering a range of services, we focused only on high-pressure component testing. Compared to tank testing, the equipment costs were considerably lower — we could work with smaller compressors, less space and lower capital requirements — making it a more economical way for us to establish ourselves.

We began by renting one room in a shared office and bootstrapped everything. We didn't even pay ourselves salaries. Our original vision was to be a network that managed test activities for customers. However, customer feedback quickly showed us that our customers wanted us to conduct the testing with our own equipment — and that’s how we’ve operated since.

Customer relationships are clearly central to how you work. Can you share more?

We quickly learned that successful customer relationships are built on genuine understanding. As part of this, we learned to redesign tests and boundary conditions based on our customers’ technical requirements.

We chose to communicate directly with the engineers on the customer side rather than trying to build relationships with management. As engineers, we knew we could establish a strong technical dialogue with the people who had problems to solve. Of course, the engineers we worked with then had to convince their own management to issue purchase orders, but by resolving the engineers’ technical challenges, we built genuine demand for our services.

How did you develop your technical expertise?

It came down to our operating model — our limited budget meant we couldn't afford to outsource technology development. As a result, we had to build everything ourselves — mechanical equipment, measurement technology, even software.

This methodical, step-by-step approach allowed us to develop deep in-house expertise and understand every aspect of our business. This learning has influenced everything we’ve done. It allowed us to develop increasingly complex test benches and expand into additional test types such as hydrogen gas cycle testing with storage tanks.

What prompted the move to your current location near Munich Airport?

By 2016, we had outgrown our location. We decided to buy land to build bespoke facilities. The property near the Munich Airport was close enough to Munich to retain our engineering talent but far enough outside of the city to be cost-effective. Munich Airport was also an ideal location from which to serve our international customers.

You received ISO 17025 accreditation in 2022. Why did you choose to pursue this?

We saw our customers struggling to convince their management teams that we, as a small German company, could deliver to their requirements. Holding ISO 17025 accreditation demonstrates that we are competent in performing tests and calibrations reliably and have the quality management system and technical expertise to deliver accurate, repeatable and trustworthy results.

In a similar vein, becoming a Technical Service listed with the German Road Authority (KBA) was valuable for automotive customers who needed specific certifications. It shortened the path for customers to get their components approved for the automotive industry.

How did the acquisition by UL Solutions come about?

UL Solutions initially approached us in 2022, and by 2023, we were ready to make the next move toward becoming a global company. We’d already taken our first international step in 2020 by purchasing a laboratory in the Vancouver area in Canada. Having facilities in Europe and North America made us unique in the hydrogen testing space and significantly improved the service we could offer customers.

The UL Solutions acquisition was the logical next step. It gave us access to a much larger customer base and, crucially, provided the financial resources needed for the investments required for growth in this industry.

How do customers benefit from TesTneT being part of UL Solutions?

Now that we’re part of UL Solutions, we can operate as a full-service provider for our customers. Although they may initially contact us for our hydrogen testing expertise, we can also support them with electrical testing, various certifications and other services through our UL Solutions colleagues.

Joining UL Solutions has transformed the way we work with our international customers. We now have colleagues in every major market who speak our customers' languages and work in their time zones, allowing us to further improve our customer service.

What’s next for TesTneT and UL Solutions?

We're staying true to our roots of adapting to customer needs while expanding into new sectors. We've begun working with aerospace companies, applying our high-pressure testing expertise to different requirements — for example, working with helium systems rather than combustible hydrogen gases.

What remains constant is our approach: we work closely with customers to understand their specific challenges and then work with them to develop tailored approaches. Whether it's automotive, aerospace or other industries, engineer-to-engineer collaboration and customer-driven innovation continue to guide everything we do.

Becoming part of UL Solutions gives us the resources and global reach to serve more customers in more markets than ever before. We can make the necessary investments to stay at the forefront of testing technology and meet demands for implementing new test facilities and industry standards.